Rookie makes Staten Island debut on mound

By Staff reports-The Daily News

Published: Friday, June 21, 2013 at 09:30 AM.

Davis
said his fastball, which was in the 92-95 mph range, and change-up were “pretty good,” although he left one change-up up that was hit for an RBI-double, “which should have never had happened. It was a poor pitch selection on my part.”

“Again, it’s a learning experience, first game,” he said, adding he his curve featured “some good ones (and) some (that) kind of got away from me a little bit.”

STATEN ISLAND. N.Y. — It wasn’t exactly the debut former DixonHigh School star Rookie Davis was after with the Staten Island Yankees against the defending short-season Class A New York-Penn League champions Thursday night.

Davis gave up three runs — two earned — and allowed five hits while walking one and hitting a batter in four innings in his first game for Staten Island, which fell to Hudson Valley 6-0 at Richmond County Ballpark.

“It gives me a little experience against a really good lineup up here,” Davis said in a telephone interview. “It was a good challenge. I felt like I held my own against them and next time I’ll go out there with a better gameplan.

“Overall, first outing, I felt I did pretty good. I made a couple pitches I wished that I could have back. But that’s how it goes. Overall, it was a good experience, being out there in front of the fans. The outcome wasn’t what we wanted it to be, but I got some things to work on this upcoming week before my next start. I’m looking forward to that.”

Davis, a two-time player of the year for The Daily News, said he’s scheduled to make his next start Tuesday against the Aberdeen IronBirds.

Davis’ debut at Staten Island came before a crowd of 2,533 that included a number of family members, including his parents, Billy and Lisa, and his sister, Ayrien.

The hard-throwing Davis (0-1), who was picked in the 14th round by the Yankees in the 2011 Major League draft, gave up a single to the first batter he faced, left-handed hitting Julian Ridings, who played at Western Carolina and is from Shelby, N.C.

Davis then walked the next hitter after Ridings stole second base. After a wild pitch on a curve in the dirt, Davis retired the next two hitters on a ground out, which scored Ridings, and an infield pop fly.

Asked if he was nervous at the start, Davis said:

“I was trying to work ahead and stay ahead. The walk could have gone either way, I’ll put it like that. First batter swung at the second pitch and got a base hit up the middle. After that I kind of realized that I need to get the ball down a little bit and work on throwing my sinker and change-up down in the zone some.

“But he’s (Ridings) a good hitter. He finished the night 4-for-5. He was a tough out.”

While both are North Carolina natives, Davis said he didn’t know Ridings.

“But I know him now,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing him again next time we play him and it should be a different outcome.”

Davis got HudsonValley in order in the second but gave up a run in the third as well as an unearned run in the fourth — both with two outs. Davis, who was under a pitch count, was lifted for Dillon McNamara before the fifth inning.

Davis said his fastball, which was in the 92-95 mph range, and change-up were “pretty good,” although he left one change-up up that was hit for an RBI-double, “which should have never had happened. It was a poor pitch selection on my part.”

“Again, it’s a learning experience, first game,” he said, adding he his curve featured “some good ones (and) some (that) kind of got away from me a little bit.”